A recent community food assessment shows post-COVID food insecurity and hunger are surging in Macon, Swain and Jackson counties. The data is dire but could offer a roadmap for a better regional food system.
New Stories
A story of how the TDA decides what to fund
Last month, the BCTDA awarded its first slate of 12 grants from the fund, helping finance projects for organizations from the Swannanoa Valley Art League and Black Wall Street AVL to the Asheville Museum of Science and the City of Asheville.
Nonprofit seeks community thoughts on environmental justice
Kate Epsen, who serves as the chair for the Wilma Dykeman Legacy’s news committee on environmental integrity, is currently seeking community input on environmental justice. Photo courtesy of Epsen
Nonprofit addresses sexual harassment in the food and beverage industry
‘That’s just what it’s like working in a bar,’ some say. Others might push it aside for financial reasons — ‘Don’t you want more tips?’ But local advocates say addressing sexual harassment and sexual violence is key to preventing it from continuing. Especially in the hospitality industry, where it is prevalent.
Business improvement district passes first round of voting
A proposed downtown business improvement district passed the first round of voting despite concerns about how it would operate. The vote defined the boundaries of the district and set a tax rate, but a second vote is required to establish the business improvement district, or BID.
Why I volunteer: The children are the future
Frederick Carl DeTroia discusses the joys of working with young children through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina.
NCDOT awards $1.1 billion contract for main I-26 Connector sections
After nearly four decades of planning and discussions, the N.C. Department of Transportation has a contractor for the two main sections of the Interstate 26 Connector.
BREAKING: Amanda Simpkins resigns from Buncombe County Board of Education
In a statement to the board at a special called work session May 15, an emotional Simpkins said she was stepping down for “personal reasons” and because of “some changes going on.”
As NCDOT buys land for I-26 Connector, negotiation can pay off for property owners
After 35 years of talking, planning, designing and redesigning, the Interstate 26 Connector project is finally underway, and the N.C. Department of Transportation or its contractors are buying land to accommodate the north-to-south downtown bypass.
Business, nonprofit roundup: Bear cub pulled from tree ‘doing well’
Asheville made national headlines last month after a video that showed people pulling two bear cubs from a tree to take photos with the animals went viral.
ACS asks who will pay to revamp school site
Recent comments by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has some members of the Asheville City Board of Education questioning the future costs associated with the former Asheville Primary School site on Haywood Road.
Why I volunteer: Giving back to the Appalachian Trail
Sarah Jones Decker, a volunteer at Carolina Mountain Club, discusses the joys of being outside with like-minded hikers.
New study explores connections between craft and community health
Artist Luis Alvaro Sahagún Nuño, student Kerstan Nealy and professor Ameena Batada reflect on their experiences with the project.
Honeycrisps bring community baseball to Hendersonville
The Hendersonville Honeycrisps are a summer league baseball team that soon begin their third season playing at historic Berkeley Mills Ballpark.
Teachers’ mental health gets new focus
Kate Wargo moved to Asheville in fall 2021 with hopes for a fresh start. Teaching elementary school during the COVID-19 pandemic had left her exhausted, anxious and depressed. “It was the first time I felt dehumanized,” she says of the previous two years teaching fourth grade in Pennsylvania.
Laura Jones discusses quilting’s legacy in WNC
The president of the nonprofit Western North Carolina Quilters Guild has been quilting since childhood.